About St. Raphael · San Rafael, California
St. Raphael Church is a Catholic parish in downtown San Rafael, California, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. Its roots go back to California's mission era: Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded on December 14, 1817 as an asistencia (helper) of Mission Dolores in San Francisco, and the parish itself was established in 1884. Today it is a multilingual, multicultural community that worships in the 1919 parish church, the 1949 Mission Chapel replica, and St. Sylvester's Chapel, and it operates St. Raphael Elementary and Pre-School.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- Saint Raphael the Archangel
- Rector
- Rev. Msgr. Luello N. Palacpac
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
Why belong here
St. Raphael is one of the most historic Catholic parishes in Marin County, sitting on the 1817 site of California's 20th Spanish mission and the 1919 parish church. It is a rare parish where you can worship in the rebuilt Mission Chapel, the 1919 main church, or St. Sylvester's Chapel, and where Mass is celebrated in four languages — English, Spanish, Portuguese/Brazilian, and Vietnamese — every Sunday. With an elementary school, faith formation, OCIA, mental-health ministry, altar servers, choir, and a wide range of faith and service groups, it offers something for every age and background.
Mass times at St. Raphael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM in the main church
- By appointment
- Reconciliation services are held during Advent and Lenten seasons
Adoration times
- Friday 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Raphael Church is a multi-lingual and multicultural Catholic parish in downtown San Rafael, part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. Members include long-time residents and newcomers from across the country and the world. The parish campus includes the main 1919 parish church, the 1949 Mission Chapel replica, St. Sylvester's Chapel, and St. Raphael Elementary and Pre-School. Its mission statement is summarized by the acronym FOCUS: Faith, Outreach, Community, Unity, and Sent as Disciples to evangelize the world in the Truth.
- Main parish church (1919)
- Mission San Rafael Arcángel Chapel (1949 replica)
- St. Sylvester's Chapel
- St. Raphael Elementary & Pre-School
History: From 1817 Mission to 1884 Parish
Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded on December 14, 1817 by Father Vicente Francisco de Sarría as an asistencia (helper) of Mission San Francisco de Asís, serving as a hospital for sick and injured indigenous people — making it Alta California's first sanitarium. It was granted full mission status on October 19, 1822 and was the 20th of California's 21 missions. After Mexican secularization in 1834 and abandonment by 1844, the buildings were sold for $8,000 and used by John C. Frémont during the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt. The ruins were entirely removed by 1870. A priest returned in 1847, a new parish church was built in 1861, and St. Raphael was formally established as a parish in 1884. The current main church was built in 1919, and the replica Mission Chapel was added in 1949.
- 1817 — Mission San Rafael Arcángel founded as asistencia of Mission Dolores
- 1822 — Raised to full mission status (October 19)
- 1834 — Secularized by Mexican government
- 1844 — Mission abandoned
- 1846 — Buildings used by Frémont during Bear Flag Revolt
- 1861 — New parish church built near chapel ruins
- 1870 — Ruins removed; only a pear tree remains
- 1884 — St. Raphael formally established as a parish
- 1919 — Present main parish church built
- 1949 — Mission Chapel replica rebuilt next to parish church
Clergy, Staff & Parish Office
The parish is led by pastor Rev. Msgr. Luello N. Palacpac and served by two parochial vicars and four permanent deacons, together with a parish office staff and school principal. The parish office can be reached at (415) 454-8141 and the parish email is [email protected].
- Rev. Msgr. Luello N. Palacpac — Pastor
- Rev. Santos Rodriguez — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Cornelius Anki — Parochial Vicar
- Deacon Gene Smith — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon David Bernstein — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Jose Hernandez — Permanent Deacon
- Deacon Mark Kroncke, OFS — Permanent Deacon
- Keenny Aguilar — Administrative Assistant
- Clara Hau Gutierrez — Administrative Assistant
- Tom Cashman — Operations Manager
- Lydia Collins — School Principal, St. Raphael Elementary
- Miguel Garza — Parish School of Religion Coordinator
- Josephine Sanchez — Music Director
- Valerie Spiess — Altar Server Society Coordinator
Sacraments & Faith Formation
The parish celebrates all the usual sacraments — Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick — and offers year-round faith formation for children and adults. The Parish School of Religion (PSR) provides religious education for parish children, and the OCIA process (formerly RCIA) welcomes adults preparing to enter the Catholic Church or complete their initiation.
- Parish School of Religion (PSR / Religious Education)
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
- Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick
Mental Health Ministry
St. Raphael's Mental Health Ministry is a team of trained volunteers — non-professionals and professionals — who collaborate with the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco to listen, pray, and connect individuals and families with mental-health resources. The ministry is part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Mental Health Ministry Network, currently comprising 13 parishes. Volunteers offer a prayerful, confidential, non-judgmental listening ear, follow-up to ensure resources meet needs, and regular educational events at the parish. They do not diagnose or prescribe, but serve as a bridge to professional care.
- Free, confidential listening and resource referral
- Part of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Mental Health Ministry Network
- Regular mental-health educational events
- Contact: [email protected]
Liturgical Ministries & Music
Lay faithful serve the parish as altar servers, lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and choir members. The parish Music Director leads liturgical music for the various language communities. A dedicated Altar Server Society coordinator organizes youth and adult altar servers for all weekend Masses.
- Altar Server Society
- Parish Choir / Music Ministry
- Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers
St. Raphael Elementary & Pre-School
St. Raphael Elementary School and Pre-School is part of the parish campus and serves families of the parish and wider San Rafael community. The school principal is Lydia Collins; the school can be reached at (415) 454-4455.
- Pre-School and Elementary programs
- On the parish campus
- Principal: Lydia Collins
- School phone: (415) 454-4455
Mission San Rafael Arcángel Chapel
Adjacent to the 1919 parish church is the Mission Chapel, a 1949 replica of the original 1817 Spanish mission built on the same approximate 6.5-acre site. The modest single-building replica reflects the original asistencia's simple adobe character and stands on the historic footprint of California's first sanitarium. Mission tours and information about visiting hours are available through the parish.
- 1949 replica of the original 1817 mission
- Site of California's first sanitarium
- On the historic 6.5-acre Mission San Rafael site